Friday, February 04, 2011

High School in Virginia Demonstrates (Again) Why Education in the U.S. Is Failing

The family of a Virginia teen suspended for the remainder of the school year for shooting plastic "spitwads" at students in the hallway is targeting the school district's zero-tolerance policy, claiming that it's "criminalizing childish behavior."

Andrew Mikel II, a freshman honor student at Spotsylvania High School who also is active in Junior ROTC, is filling an appeal to be reinstated and have his record cleared after school officials suspended him for using what appeared to be the hollow body of a pen to blow small plastic balls at three students during his lunch period last December.

The 14-year-old initially was hit with a 10-day suspension, but the Spotsylvania County School Board later voted to extend the punishment for the rest of the school year, citing the Student Code of Conduct's requirement that a student found with "any type of weapon, or object used to intimidate, threaten or harm others" be "expelled for a minimum of 365 days" unless "special circumstances exist."

The district also referred the case to the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office, which charged him with three counts of misdemeanor assault.

As result Mikel entered a diversion program – which includes community service and substance abuse and anger management counseling – to avoid prosecution, but his father says his damaged record has shattered his hopes of attending the U.S. Naval Academy after graduation.

"There were three victims that were involved in this, and I think the public needs to remember that," Scott told FoxNews.com.

Scott said those victims, two females and one male, complained of feeling a "pinch" or "sting" when they were hit with the pellets and one even had a welt on her arm as result.

"They were asking him to stop, he replied, 'No.' When they asked him, 'Why are you doing this?' he said, 'because I want to,'" she said.

Citing the school's 'zero tolerance' policy, Assistant Principal Lisa Andruss at a December 21 disciplinary hearing said that Mikel presented a danger and that the boy's behavior was indicative of a trend because he was disciplined in seventh grade for shooting rubber bands with a ruler and suspended for three days in 8th grade for bringing a comb to school that resembled a pocket knife, his father said.

Wow. It's about time the school dealt with this hardened criminal.

What a bunch of idiots. I would have been sent to juvenile and rotted in jail before I left first grade instead of getting through school and eventually earning a master's degree.

How do you make a rational argument with idiots like this? Why should you even try when it's evident they are incapable of behaving rationally or exercising sound judgment? Just another reason home schooling is the best alternative for anyone with the time and ability. With bozos like this teaching our kids, it's no wonder that the U.S. lags so far behind other developed nations in educational achievement.

Hell, I could barely get students sternly spoken to for pitching rocks at windows and drawing blood. This is definitely an overreaction.

You can't make a rational argument with people like this. You CAN make a rational argument at a School Board meeting and/or to the people who elect the local School Board (who hire the Superintendent, who gives these clowns job contracts).

AND you should be able to make this kid stay for detention and clean bathrooms or locker rooms as punishment for shooting things around the school. Obviously the 3 day vacations weren't teaching him anything.